A standout among our regional trilliums, and an interesting case study regarding native ranges! Growing conditions are typical for woodland ephemerals- they need rich woodland soil, moist to average water conditions, and light in the spring before trees leaf out. An area where other woodland or ephemeral species are already growing is ideal!

As for their range: the site we and many others reference for range data (the Biota of North America Project, aka BONAP) shows this species’ northernmost recorded population in central Kentucky. Imagine my surprise when I checked its range data years after I found a wild individual among the remnant ephemerals in my central Indiana backyard! The citizen science app INaturalist suggests my plant is not a one-off, with a smattering of wakerobin observations around Indianapolis, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Louisville; all places where there are both enough remnant plants and enough people walking that they’re more likely to be reported. This suggests that the official range data is incomplete! An excellent reminder that range maps are a list of positives and for most species can be considered a “minimum range”. Data is always influenced by the timing, frequency, and location of botanic surveys, as well as the funding behind them and the variety of specialties surveyors bring to them. Scientists are only human, new information is always coming to light, and our understanding is ever-growing!

Light: Part Sun/Shade, Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet Mesic, Mesic

Soil Type: Loam, Humus

Height: 5”-12”

Bloom Color: Yellow

Bloom Time: Apr-May

Root Type: Rhizome

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Little data available. Like other trilliums, seeds are spread by ants.